“慢”步人生路

by Jesse Hunter foonfoon 译

PROLOGUE 卷首语

“慢”步人生路

Slowing Things Down

by Jesse Hunter foonfoon 译

Do you ever feel like this giant rat race of life is starting to get to you? I certainly do. It’s that anxious feeling that dwells in the back of your subconscious, the fear that life is moving too fast for comfort, and it feels like a runaway train in an Old Western, with no brakes and a cliff with unfnished tracks up ahead. The thing is you have to make a conscious effort to slow things down when it feels like life is starting to pass you by. It’s up to each of us to take the time, and carve out a simple slice of happiness, for ourselves and the ones we love.

In this month’s features, we found some people who have learned, through the rigors of life, to follow the path of the patient tortoise rather than the wily hare, by capturing those feeting moments of joy and dwelling in them for as long as possible. In Savoring Slow Morning Walks with My Preschooler, Jenna Russell knows that, once Kindergarten starts, her cherished leisurely walks with her young daughter will become a thing of the past, so she takes her at a slower and slower pace. Next, we see how the Slow Life in Tasmania Is Finally Fulflling, as Hilary Burden escapes the hectic city life for the simple trappings of her old Tasmanian stomping grounds. And The Dad Who Dropped Out shows us how a near death experience can bring to light the things that are truly important in life, like spending the afternoon with one’s children.

No matter the circumstance, I think it’s reasonable to say that we could all use a deep breath and moment of refection in our crazy, mixed-up lives. All you gotta do is look around, fgure out what’s most important to you, and make that your top priority. The rest is simple: just live in the moment and enjoy it while it lasts, because the moment’s gone before you know it.

你是否曾感觉激烈的人生竞争开始让你觉得不安？我当然有过这样的感觉。那是一种潜藏在你潜意识里的紧张感，是一种因生活节奏快得让人不舒服而产生的恐惧感，就像美国西部片里的暴走火车一样，没有刹车，前方便是没有轨道的万丈悬崖。关键是当你感觉生活开始变得太过匆忙时，你必须积极应对，放慢生活的脚步。要不要为了自己和所爱之人而放慢生活的脚步，发掘生活中简单的小幸福，决定权在我们每个人自己手上。

在本月的主题文章中，我们发现，有些人在经历了生活的种种考验后，学会了放弃狡猾野兔的道路，转而追随耐心乌龟的道路，抓住并尽可能地享受那些短暂的快乐时光。在《慢走好时光》一文中，珍娜·拉塞尔明白，一旦她的小女儿开始上小学，她们珍贵的漫步时光就会一去不返，所以，她们的脚步越走越慢。接下来，在《塔斯马尼亚州的慢生活》中，我们看到希拉里·伯顿逃离了忙乱的城市生活，回到了她的故土塔斯马尼亚，过上了心满意足的简单生活。《停下来，慢慢走》一文中则为我们展现了濒临死亡的经历是如何让人明白什么才是人生中最重要的东西，比如说与孩子共度下午时光。

无论身处何种环境，我想，这样说都是合理的：我们可以来个深呼吸，花片刻时间反思我们那疯狂、纷扰杂乱的生活。你所要做的就是环顾四周，找出你最重要的东西，予以重视。其余的很简单：只要活在当下，享受眼下的美好时光就好，因为时间总是在不知不觉中就溜走了。

“Slow down and enjoy life. It’s not only the scenery you miss by going too fast—you also miss the sense of where you are going and why.”—Eddie Cantor